India Census 2027 · Phase 2

Census 2027 Schedule: Phase 2 (Population Enumeration)

State-wise Phase 2 dates: the phase that records religion

Self-enumeration, house-to-house enumeration, revisional round and reference date for every state and Union Territory. Every Jain household writes "Jain" in Question 9.

36
States & UTs
7
With Phase 2 dates notified
1 Mar 2027
Reference date, rest of India

Last updated: 23 Sept 2026

Census 2027 is India's 16th national census, the eighth since Independence, and the first to be conducted digitally. For the first time, households can self-enumerate, giving every family a direct say in how it is recorded. The census runs in two phases, each with its own purpose, dates and question set.

Phase 1: House Listing and Housing Census (1 April to 30 September 2026). Phase 1 records 33 questions on household composition, housing conditions, assets and amenities. There is no religion question in Phase 1. Each state and Union Territory had a 15-day self-enumeration window followed by a 30-day house-to-house enumeration period. Phase 1 closes on 30 September 2026 in every state and UT, except Charaideo and Sivasagar districts of Assam, where house listing has been extended to 31 October 2026 because of floods. Completing Phase 1 puts your household on the official register that Phase 2 enumerators will use.

Phase 2: Population Enumeration. This is where religion is recorded. The Phase 2 questionnaire has 40 questions, including name, age, education, occupation, religion (Question 9) and caste (Question 10). It was notified by the Office of the Registrar General, India on 14 August 2026. Every Jain household writes "Jain" in Question 9 for every member.

Phase 2 does not happen on one date for the whole country. There are three schedules, depending on where you live, and one state where the census is on hold:

Area Self-Enumeration House-to-House Revisional round Reference date
Ladakh, plus snow-bound areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand 17–31 Aug 2026 (closed) 1–30 Sept 2026 (completed) 1–5 Oct 2026 (completed) 1 Oct 2026
Goa, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and Uttarakhand (other than snow-bound areas) 16–30 Nov 2026 1 Dec 2026 – 4 Jan 2027 5–9 Jan 2027 5 Jan 2027
Rest of India Expected Jan 2027* Expected Feb 2027* To be notified 1 Mar 2027
Manipur Deferred Deferred Deferred To be notified

*Rest of India: the Registrar General has fixed the reference date (1 March 2027) and February 2027 for enumeration, but the exact self-enumeration, house-to-house and revisional-round dates have not yet been notified. January 2027 for self-enumeration is our estimate, based on the pattern in the states already notified. This table will be updated the day the notification is issued.

"Snow-bound areas" are regions cut off by snow in winter, which is why they are counted earlier than the rest of the country.

What is the reference date? It is the moment at which the count is frozen: 00:00 hours on the reference date. Everyone alive at that moment is counted, wherever they are enumerated in the following days. A child born after the reference date is not counted in this census; a person who passes away after it is still counted.

Four states have been advanced. On 5 September 2026, the Registrar General advanced Phase 2 in Goa, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and the non-snow-bound parts of Uttarakhand, ahead of state assembly elections due in early 2027. If you live in these states, your Phase 2 self-enumeration window opens on 16 November 2026, not in the new year. Uttar Pradesh alone was home to over 2.1 lakh Jains in Census 2011.

Manipur is on hold. By a separate notification on 5 September 2026, census operations in Manipur have been deferred until further notice. Jain households in Manipur should watch this page; dates will be added as soon as they are announced.

How it differs from Census 2011. Census 2021 was postponed and never held, so Census 2027 is the first national census since 2011, a gap of 16 years. It introduces self-enumeration, letting households submit their own data before the enumerator visits, and it records caste for all communities for the first time since 1931. The enumerator visit remains compulsory whether or not you self-enumerate.

For Jain households, the state-wise table below shows your Phase 2 schedule. Rows marked "Awaiting notification" will be updated the day the Registrar General announces the dates. The Phase 2 self-enumeration link will be published here, and sent on WhatsApp, only when your state's window opens; do not use links from unknown sources. Register Now to be notified when your state's dates are announced, and read why an accurate count matters for the Jain community at Jain Census 2027.

State / UT Status Self-Enumeration House-to-House Revisional round Reference date
Andaman & Nicobar Islands (UT)
 Awaiting notification Expected Jan 2027* Expected Feb 2027* To be notified 1 Mar 2027
Andhra Pradesh
 Awaiting notification Expected Jan 2027* Expected Feb 2027* To be notified 1 Mar 2027
Arunachal Pradesh
 Awaiting notification Expected Jan 2027* Expected Feb 2027* To be notified 1 Mar 2027
Assam
 Awaiting notification Expected Jan 2027* Expected Feb 2027* To be notified 1 Mar 2027
Bihar
 Awaiting notification Expected Jan 2027* Expected Feb 2027* To be notified 1 Mar 2027
Chandigarh (UT)
 Awaiting notification Expected Jan 2027* Expected Feb 2027* To be notified 1 Mar 2027
Chhattisgarh
 Awaiting notification Expected Jan 2027* Expected Feb 2027* To be notified 1 Mar 2027
Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu (UT)
 Awaiting notification Expected Jan 2027* Expected Feb 2027* To be notified 1 Mar 2027
Delhi (UT)
 Awaiting notification Expected Jan 2027* Expected Feb 2027* To be notified 1 Mar 2027
Goa
 Notified 16–30 Nov 2026 1 Dec 2026 – 4 Jan 2027 5–9 Jan 2027 5 Jan 2027
Gujarat
 Awaiting notification Expected Jan 2027* Expected Feb 2027* To be notified 1 Mar 2027
Haryana
 Awaiting notification Expected Jan 2027* Expected Feb 2027* To be notified 1 Mar 2027
Himachal Pradesh — snow-bound areas
 Phase 2 completed 17–31 Aug 2026 (closed) 1–30 Sept 2026 (completed) 1–5 Oct 2026 (completed) 1 Oct 2026
Himachal Pradesh — rest of state
 Awaiting notification Expected Jan 2027* Expected Feb 2027* To be notified 1 Mar 2027
Jammu & Kashmir (UT) — snow-bound areas
 Phase 2 completed 17–31 Aug 2026 (closed) 1–30 Sept 2026 (completed) 1–5 Oct 2026 (completed) 1 Oct 2026
Jammu & Kashmir (UT) — rest of UT
 Awaiting notification Expected Jan 2027* Expected Feb 2027* To be notified 1 Mar 2027
Jharkhand
 Awaiting notification Expected Jan 2027* Expected Feb 2027* To be notified 1 Mar 2027
Karnataka
 Awaiting notification Expected Jan 2027* Expected Feb 2027* To be notified 1 Mar 2027
Kerala
 Awaiting notification Expected Jan 2027* Expected Feb 2027* To be notified 1 Mar 2027
Ladakh (UT) — entire UT
 Phase 2 completed 17–31 Aug 2026 (closed) 1–30 Sept 2026 (completed) 1–5 Oct 2026 (completed) 1 Oct 2026
Lakshadweep (UT)
 Awaiting notification Expected Jan 2027* Expected Feb 2027* To be notified 1 Mar 2027
Madhya Pradesh
 Awaiting notification Expected Jan 2027* Expected Feb 2027* To be notified 1 Mar 2027
Maharashtra
 Awaiting notification Expected Jan 2027* Expected Feb 2027* To be notified 1 Mar 2027
Manipur
 On hold till further notice Deferred Deferred Deferred To be notified
Meghalaya
 Awaiting notification Expected Jan 2027* Expected Feb 2027* To be notified 1 Mar 2027
Mizoram
 Awaiting notification Expected Jan 2027* Expected Feb 2027* To be notified 1 Mar 2027
Nagaland
 Awaiting notification Expected Jan 2027* Expected Feb 2027* To be notified 1 Mar 2027
Odisha
 Awaiting notification Expected Jan 2027* Expected Feb 2027* To be notified 1 Mar 2027
Puducherry (UT)
 Awaiting notification Expected Jan 2027* Expected Feb 2027* To be notified 1 Mar 2027
Punjab
 Notified 16–30 Nov 2026 1 Dec 2026 – 4 Jan 2027 5–9 Jan 2027 5 Jan 2027
Rajasthan
 Awaiting notification Expected Jan 2027* Expected Feb 2027* To be notified 1 Mar 2027
Sikkim
 Awaiting notification Expected Jan 2027* Expected Feb 2027* To be notified 1 Mar 2027
Tamil Nadu
 Awaiting notification Expected Jan 2027* Expected Feb 2027* To be notified 1 Mar 2027
Telangana
 Awaiting notification Expected Jan 2027* Expected Feb 2027* To be notified 1 Mar 2027
Tripura
 Awaiting notification Expected Jan 2027* Expected Feb 2027* To be notified 1 Mar 2027
Uttar Pradesh
 Notified 16–30 Nov 2026 1 Dec 2026 – 4 Jan 2027 5–9 Jan 2027 5 Jan 2027
Uttarakhand — snow-bound areas
 Phase 2 completed 17–31 Aug 2026 (closed) 1–30 Sept 2026 (completed) 1–5 Oct 2026 (completed) 1 Oct 2026
Uttarakhand — rest of state
 Notified 16–30 Nov 2026 1 Dec 2026 – 4 Jan 2027 5–9 Jan 2027 5 Jan 2027
West Bengal
 Awaiting notification Expected Jan 2027* Expected Feb 2027* To be notified 1 Mar 2027

*Expected dates; not yet notified by the Registrar General. Reference date 1 March 2027 is official. Snow-bound areas of Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Uttarakhand are those notified by the Registrar General; the rest of each state or UT follows the later schedule.

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Questions & Answers

Phase 2: Frequently Asked Questions

Census 2027 Phase 2 dates, self-enumeration and how every Jain is counted correctly.

What are the two phases of Census 2027?

Phase 1 is the House Listing and Housing Census (1 April to 30 September 2026; extended to 31 October 2026 only in Charaideo and Sivasagar districts of Assam): 33 questions on house condition, amenities, assets and household composition, and no religion question. Phase 2 is the Population Enumeration: 40 questions, including religion (Question 9) and caste (Question 10). Phase 2 runs on three schedules: September 2026 for Ladakh and snow-bound areas; December 2026 to January 2027 for Goa, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and the rest of Uttarakhand; and February 2027 for everyone else (exact dates to be notified). Manipur's census has been deferred until further notice.

What information is collected in Phase 2?

The Phase 2 Household Schedule, notified on 14 August 2026, asks these 40 questions about every person in the household:

  1. Name of the person
  2. Relationship to head of household
  3. Sex
  4. Date of birth and age
  5. Current marital status
  6. Age at marriage
  7. Spouse's name
  8. Nationality as declared
  9. Religion
  10. Scheduled Caste / Scheduled Tribe / Caste
  11. Father's particulars
  12. Mother's particulars
  13. Disability
  14. Mother tongue and other languages known
  15. Literacy and digital literacy
  16. Attendance in an educational institution
  17. Highest educational level and stream
  18. Worked at any time during the last year
  19. Category of economic activity
  20. Occupation
  21. Nature of industry, trade or service
  22. Class of worker
  23. Non-economic activity (for marginal and non-workers)
  24. Seeking or available for work (for marginal and non-workers)
  25. Travel to place of work
  26. Birthplace
  27. Place of last residence
  28. Reason for migration
  29. Duration of stay since last migration
  30. Permanent residential address
  31. Children surviving at present (ever-married women)
  32. Children ever born alive (ever-married women)
  33. Children born alive in the last year (currently married women)
  34. Place of Covid-19 vaccination
  35. Total number of bank accounts
  36. Mobile number (if available)
  37. Aadhaar number (if available)
  38. Voter ID number (if available)
  39. Passport number (if Indian passport holder)
  40. Availability of driving licence

Question 9 is where religion is recorded. Census 2027 is also the first census since 1931 to record caste for all communities.

Does the census form have "Jain" as an option?

Yes. Jain is one of the six religions named on the official Phase 2 Household Schedule (Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain), with "Other" for the rest. Question 9 is "Religion." If you are Jain, the correct entry is: Jain. Not a panth (Digambar, Shwetambar, Sthanakvasi, Terapanth), not a gotra, not a caste name. Just Jain, for every member. For why Jain is a religion and not a caste on the census form, read Is Jainism a Religion or Caste?.

Will writing Jain cause any harm or loss of benefits?

No. The census is a statistical count, not a benefit-allocation mechanism. It does not issue, verify or alter any certificate, document or entitlement. Religion (Question 9) and Caste (Question 10) are two separate columns; what you write in one does not change the other. Caste is recorded exactly as you declare it, in its own column. Under Section 15 of the Census Act, 1948, individual census records are confidential: they are not open to inspection by anyone and cannot be used as evidence in any court or proceeding. Your answer in the religion column exists only to be counted.

What is self-enumeration (SE)?

Self-enumeration lets you fill in your own household's information on the official government portal, se.census.gov.in, using your mobile number and an OTP. Any working mobile number can be used; it does not need to be linked to Aadhaar or any other ID, and each mobile number can be used for one household only. The portal is available in English, Hindi and major regional languages. After submitting, you receive an SE ID (see below). An enumerator will still visit to verify the data; self-enumeration is the first step, not the final one. The Phase 2 self-enumeration window opens on different dates in different states (see the table above); the portal accepts Phase 2 entries only during your state's window.

What is an SE ID?

When you complete self-enumeration, the portal gives you an 11-digit Self-Enumeration ID (SE ID), shown on screen and sent by SMS. This number links your household's submission to the official Census 2027 record. Save it straight away: take a screenshot or write it down. When the enumerator visits, share the SE ID so they can verify your submission. If you lose it, log back into the SE portal with the same mobile number to retrieve it.

How do I know the person at my door is a real enumerator?

Census enumerators are government-appointed (mostly teachers and local government staff) and carry an official census identity card. They record answers on the government census app on their own phone or tablet. Ask to see the ID card. A genuine enumerator will never ask for money, original documents, bank details or an OTP. If in doubt, call the national census helpline at 1855 before answering.

What is a revisional round?

After house-to-house enumeration ends, enumerators return for a five-day revisional round to correct entries and record births, deaths and households missed in the main round. If a family member's religion was recorded incorrectly, or someone was left out, the revisional round is your last chance to have it fixed. Contact your enumerator or the local census office before it closes. For any census query, call the national Census 2027 helpline at 1855 (toll-free) or the Let Every Jain Count helpline at 92898-11008.

A family member will be away from home during our Phase 2 dates. Are they counted?

Every person is counted once, at the place where they are living during the enumeration period. Students in hostels, members working in another city and anyone staying elsewhere on the reference date are enumerated at that place, and should answer "Jain" in Question 9 there. Tell the enumerator about members who are temporarily away so nobody is missed or counted twice. If a member is abroad on the reference date, they are not counted in India's census. If the situation is unclear, ask the enumerator or call 1855.

I missed Phase 1 in my state. What now?

Nothing is lost for the religion count. Phase 1 recorded housing details only and had no religion question. Phase 2 is a separate exercise: an enumerator will visit every household again, and the Phase 2 self-enumeration window will open separately for your state. If your house was not listed at all in Phase 1, for example a newly built home or one the enumerator never reached, it can still be listed and recorded during the Phase 2 house-to-house visit. Be available during your state's Phase 2 period and answer "Jain" in Question 9 for every member.

What should my household keep ready for Phase 2?

Phase 2 asks 40 questions about every person in the house, so sit down together once before your self-enumeration window opens. Keep ready: each member's full name, date of birth, marital status and age at marriage, parents' names, mother tongue and other languages known, highest education completed, current occupation, and place of birth or previous residence for anyone who has moved.

No documents need to be shown to the enumerator: no birth certificates, no income proofs. The census is a declaration exercise. You answer questions. You do not submit paperwork.

Questions 36 to 39 (mobile number, Aadhaar, Voter ID and passport) are asked only "if available." You will not be refused enumeration for leaving them blank.

Above all, agree as a family that every member's religion will be entered as Jain.

What is the most important thing to do during the census?

One thing. In Phase 2, on your state's dates in the table above, clearly answer "Religion: Jain" for every member of your household in Question 9, whether you self-enumerate or the enumerator fills the form. That single, clear answer is what this campaign is about. If Phase 1 is still running in your area, be available when the enumerator visits and make sure all household details are recorded correctly.

Why does Census 2027 matter so much?

Three reasons. First, the census happens once in ten years; the next opportunity is around 2037. Second, Phase 2 records religion in Question 9, and that entry shapes how the community is seen in policy and planning for a decade. Minority welfare planning and the redrawing of constituencies both rely on official census figures. Third, self-enumeration is available for the first time, so every household can take part directly. For the full story on why the Jain count matters, read Jain Janganana 2027.